This press release hit our inbox just as we were wrapping it up for the holiday — and it made us laugh. As our events editor, Jennifer Baron, said, “It reads like a piece from The Onion.” Here it is in full which is more than we can say about the pickle:
“The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has just announced that the Giant Pickle Ornament will be canned this year. An unfortunate rip during installation has let the air out of the new installation planned for the holiday season.
The ludicrously oversized pickle was planned as a “must-see” selfie spot, but now lies motionless in EQT Plaza. Rather than “brine” about it … the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is embracing the sheer craziness of it all. Much like a bus in a sinkhole, this latest “Picklesburst” is just another oddity to overcome on the long list of the year that is (still) 2020.
“We don’t relish the idea of a season without the Ornamental Pickle, but a sliced pickle just won’t cut it,” said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the PDP. “This is a really big dill … but we still have a ton more to offer this holiday season. While this pickle may have deflated, our spirits for a great holiday season have not!”
The installation was truly going to be quite a spectacle, with golden pickle bumps and topped with a preposterously large golden ornamental crown, but it’s now grounded until further notice.”
On a more serious note, the most updated information on all the reimagined holiday attractions throughout Downtown Pittsburgh this Holliday Season, set to kick off on Black Friday, November 27 and running through December 23, can be found at DowntownPittsburgh.com/Holidays.